Tensions with China are high, North Korea is testing nuclear warheads, and the Philippines is distancing itself. Professor Oriana Skylar Mastro explores the complicated web of U.S. trade and military relations in Asia and highlights potential challenges.

For More on this Topic:

• Check out her two-page brief, Japan, the United States, and the Shifting Balance of Air Power in Northeast Asia.
• Read her article on China’s military transparency as mentioned in the episode.

Further Reading:

• Can Countries Overcome Distrust by Affirming Rather than Downplaying National Identities?, Eun Bin Chung, University of Utah
• Is Military Aid an Effective Tool for U.S. Foreign Policy?, Patricia L. Sullivan, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Americans across the political spectrum are questioning the integrity of U.S. elections and democracy. Professor Amel Ahmed walks through threats that can erode democracies and encourages protecting institutions, even the controversial Electoral College.

For More on this Topic:

• Check out her piece defending the electoral college in The American Prospect.
• See the controversial New York Times graph Avi mentioned and a rebuttal in the Washington Post.
• Read her two-page brief and her book, Democracy and the Politics of Electoral System Choice: Engineering Electoral Dominance.

Further Reading:

• How Government by the Privileged Distorts Democracies, Nicholas Carnes, Duke University, Noam Lupu, Vanderbilt University
• How International Election Observers Can Help Fledgling Democracies, Leslie E. Anderson, University of Florida

The Supreme Court is helps shape civil rights in the United States, but it is less recognized for its role in intensifying economic inequality. Professor Stephen Gottlieb details cases in the high court that have promoted these inequalities.

For More on this Topic:

• Read two-page brief, How the Roberts Court Undermines U.S. Democracy, or his book, Unfit for Democracy: The Roberts Court and the Breakdown of American Politics.
• Check out his blog or commentary on WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Further Reading:

• The Changing Relationship of Congress and the Federal Judiciary, Bruce Peabody, Fairleigh Dickinson University
• County Right-to-Work Laws as the Latest Tactic to Undercut American Labor Unions, Raymond Hogler, Colorado State University

A voting rule no one is talking about could change the face of elections across the country. Professor Zoltan Hajnal explains how combining national, state, and local election days would boost turnout and reduce disparities in voting and representation.

For More on this Topic:

• Check out his two-page brief, To Avert the Next Ferguson, Reschedule Elections to Make Local Politics More Representative
• Read his book, America’s Uneven Democracy: Turnout, Race, and Representation in City Politics.

Further Reading:

• How The Timing of Elections Shapes Turnout, Election Outcomes, and Public Policy, Sarah F. Anzia, University of California, Berkeley
• Do Election Reforms Promote Equal Participation?, Elizabeth Rigby, The George Washington University